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Adaptive immunity

Adaptive immunity is the protection of a host organism from a pathogen or toxin. It is mediated by B cells and T cells, and is characterized by immunological memory. Adaptive immunity is highly specific to a given antigen and is highly adaptable.

Latest Research and Reviews

The JAK-STAT signaling pathway is important for cytokine responses and CD4 T-cell differentiation. Here the authors show that Stat1 also serves to protect CD4 T cells from natural killer cell-mediated killing, potentially by promoting the expression of Nlrc5 and MHC-I, to preserve the induction of experimental colitis via the adoptive transfer of CD4 T cells.

Orthobunyaviruses (OBVs) cause severe disease in humans and farm animals, but the molecular basis for infection is not fully understood. Here, the authors present crystal structures of free and antibody-bound OBV envelope glycoproteins and show that their domains enable efficient immunization in a mouse model.

Autoreactive T cells are suspected to destroy hypocretin-producing neurons in narcolepsy. Here the authors detect CD8 T cells recognizing narcolepsy-related proteins in healthy individuals and in patients with narcolepsy, and show that the frequency of self-reactive CD8 T cells differs between patients and controls sharing the same HLA-II risk allele.

Stemness is crucial for the maintenance of long-term T cell memory. Gattinoni and colleagues demonstrate that the transcription factor c-Myb is essential for the establishment of a stemness program in the CD8+ T cell memory compartment.

The transition of the fetus from the womb to the external world represents an extraordinary challenge. The generation of memory T cells before birth may serve an important role in preparation for this fundamental transition.

A new target for controlling T cell responses adds to the list of key processes dependent on the synthesis of tetrahydrobiopterin, which is essential for neurotransmitter and nitric-oxide production and pain control.